Magic PF Paolo Banchero Still Best NBA Rookie?

Paolo Banchero has been on a tear this season. But is the No. 1 overall pick of the Orlando Magic still the best rookie in this year's class?

Jeremy Brener | Mar 4, 2023

Magic PF Paolo Banchero Still Best NBA Rookie? /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero has had a very successful first season in the NBA.

Banchero is averaging nearly 20 points per game and is keeping the Magic in contention for one of the final play-in spots going into March.

But is he considered the best rookie? NBA.com believes so, as he tops the most recent edition of the Rookie Ladder.

"If you didn’t know this guy is in his first NBA season, you would not have guessed it in his performance at New Orleans Monday," NBA.com writes. "Banchero scored eight early points, then got 20 of his 29 in the second half. Orlando went to him repeatedly down the stretch and he hit on three key trips to ice the 101-93 victory. OK, so he shot only 37.4% in February and made only one of 33 3-point tries in the month. But the Magic went 6-5, 17-16 since Dec. 15. The defensive attention he commands even on off nights aids his mates."

Banchero finds a way to make his teammates better, and that's what sets him apart from the rest of the rookie class. If he can keep it up, he'll be a shoo-in for the Rookie of the Year award at season's end.

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Published Mar 4, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.